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Based on a classic Czechoslovakian fairy tale, Little Otik is directed by surrealist Jan Svankmajer, who is best known for his earlier efforts, Faust (1994) and Alice (1988). The film uses a combination of live action and Claymation to tell the story of an infertile couple who adopt a tree stump as their child and are actually able to nurse it to life. When they realize that the child has an insatiable appetite (after he eats their cat and their postman), they lock him in the cellar, but a neighbor girl takes matters into her own hands and continues to feed the voracious boy.

Opening in limited release on December 19th, Little Otik definitely has a number of adult themes and offers a grim sort of humor, not to mention some disturbing reflections on the nature of parenthood. It is distributed by Zeitgeist Films and will be eligible for Oscar consideration (though it has yet to be submitted as an entry in the foreign-film category), but the fact that the subtitled film is so dark makes it an unlikely candidate to see much financial success until it hits the home video market. (Walid Habboub & Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Little Otik Main Cast Veronika Zilkova, Jan Hartl, Jaroslava Kretschmerova, Pavel Novy, Kristina Adamcova Supporting Cast Dagmar Stribrna, Zdenek Kozak, Gustav Vondracek Director Jan Svankmajer Screenwriter Jan Svankmajer Distributor Zeitgeist Pictures Official Site http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/current/littleotik/littleotik.html Rating Unrated Running Time 125 minutes Screen Count 3 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Little Otik
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Sling Blade	3/21/97	3.03	3.98	1020	2971.00	3754.2	24.49	32.17	6.32